Apparatus for presenting living pictures to the eye.



No. 654,585. Patented July 31', I900.

T. ANSBOBU. APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING LIVING PICTURES TO THE EYE.

(Applicaiion filed Apr. 15, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 654,585. Patented July 3|, 1900.

T-. ANSBORO.

APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING LIVING PICTURES TO THE EYE.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1899'.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-sheaf 2.

"m: wonms warns co. wowoumu. wxsnmoron, u c,

No. 654,585." Patented July 3|, I900.

T. ANSBORO. APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING LIVING PICTURES TO THE EYE.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1899.\ (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

m: mums PETERS co. wovaumq. \VASNINGTON, 11c.

No. 654,585. Patented July 3|, I900.

T. IAANSBORU.

APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING LIVING PICTURES TO THE EYE.

(Application filed Apr. 15, 1899.) B 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

ma NORRL-i vzrzns co fvnoro-umou WASHiNGTON, a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Genres.

THOMAS ANSBORO, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNFAIRIE, OF SAME PLACE.

'APPARATUS FOR PRESENTING LIVING PICTURES TO THE EYE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent K0. 654,585, dated July31 1900. K

Application filed April 15, 1899. derial No. 713,153. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS ANSBORO, gentleman, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at/l Playfair street, Glasgow,

Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Apparatus for PresentingLiving Pictures to the Eye, of which thefollowing is a speciflcation.

This invention relates to instruments of the kinetoscope class whereinso-called living pictures are presented to theeye; and it has for itsobject to improve the construction of such instruments. In theinstruments of the aforesaid class a number of pictures taken :5 inseries and representing the different attitudes successively assumed byan object in performing any act from its beginning to its close israpidly presented to the eye, with the result that the persistence ofvision produces an apparently living picture.

The drawings annexed illustrate two modifications of my invention.Onemodification is shown at Figures 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a vertical sectiontaken on the line a: on, Fig. 2;

2 5 Fig. 2, a transverse vertical section taken on the line y 3 of Fig.3, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at the opposite side of theinstrument from that at Fig. 1. The other modification is shown at Figs.4 and 5, Fig. 4 be- 0 ing a sectional elevation and Fig. 5 a side viewof the mechanism Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 are views explaining the actionof the mechanism. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view ofthe endless band of pictures.

3 5 On the drawings the same reference-letters wherever repeatedindicate the same or similar parts.

In my invention the series of pictures a to be presented to the eye arearranged in the 40 form of an endless band a, each picture being jointedto its neighbor in the band by means of a flexible joint I), suchflexible or elasticjoints being arranged alternately 011 opposite sidesof the band in order to render the endless b'and'readily foldable insections corresponding to the length of the pictures.

The flexible joints maybe coated alternately 011 alternate sides with anelastic substance,

such as lDditL-I'llbbdl, to give the band a tendency to fold"automatically in a V fashion, as shown at Fig. 3. By means of arevolving plate 0, whichreceives intermittent motion from aneccentrically-arranged wheel d, provided with means, such as a pin 6,for actuating the plate, each picture is presented before an eye-hole nin the case g of the instrument for a brief interval of time and is thensuddenly turned over audits placetaken by the next succeeding picture inthe band. As the pictures in the band fall down from the plate 0aforesaid they fold up automatically (see dotted lines at 1], Fig.within a' guide casing or chamber 71, which is preferably of a U shape,with a central division or parti tion h. l

- The revolving plate a has its axle c, to which it is rigidly secured,carried by the brackets m, and, as will be clearly seen fromFig. 1, thesaid axle c is out of the center of the wheel d. The result of this isthat as the wheel revolves its projecting pin 6 alternately engagesitself with and releases itself from the projectionsjj, provided for thepurposeon the plate and which are equidistant from the center of itsaxle, so as to impart to the plate the intermittent motion. The wheel' dcan be kept continuously in motion by means of suitable mechanism, suchas the gear-wheel it, operated by the turning of a handle Z or byclockwork.

The pictures can be viewed through a single opening 12, provided with amagnifyinglens 0, or when the series of pictures in the band are induplicate they can be viewed stereoscopically through two openings, one

for each eye. a

p is astrengthening cross-board, to which the casing It can be securedat its upper end.

19 is a cover with an opening 19 at the cen- M ter, through which thepictures can be seen as they are presented by the plate 0.

q is an opening at the upper end of the instrument and which is providedwith a hinged lid q, capable of being raised to the proper angle (seedotted lines, Fig. 3) to serve as a reflector for throwing light uponthe pictures.

For the purpose of keeping the pictures in place as they are revolvedthe plate is provided at each end with metallic disks 0*.

In the arrangement Figs. 5 and 6 the plate c, mounted rigidly on itsaxle c, has its projections 7 provided with escapement-pieces 1' 1',each of which is slotted and is capable of being adjusted in positionupon the projections by means of the screws. The mechanism for revolvingthe plate consists of a driving-pulley on the axle s and from whichpasses a cord s to the small pulley s" on the spindle .9. Made in onewith the pulley s is a toothed wheel 5 which gears with a toothed wheel011 spindle 5, made one with an elliptical wheel s which latter gearswith the elliptical wheel s, turning upon the spindle .5. The pin e,inserted in the elliptical wheel 5 is capable of engaging once in eachrevolution with one of the escapementpieces 7 2". As will be seen, theaxle of the plate a is journaled eccentrically with the wheel 3 As isclearly shown at Figs. 5 and 6, owing to this eccentric arrangement thepin 6 will be caused once in each revolution of the wheel a to engageone of the escape ments, (see Fig. 7,) with the result that the platewill be turned over-that is, moved through half a revolution-and thenrelease itself from the escapement and pass around free of the otherescapement. (See Figs. 3 and (3.) As the movement of the pin 6 in itspath is faster or slower according as the longest or shortest radius ofthe wheel a is in line (through the gearing of the wheels) with theshortest or longest radius of the wheel s the pin and these variablemovements are adjusted so that the former will be cngaged with the plate0 during its maximum movement and released therefrom when its movementis at a minimum, therebyinsuriug that each picture as it is movedforward in succession by the plate remains at rest for a much longertime than it takes to make the change from one picture to another.

In order that the friction on the flexible joints due to the movement ofthe band may be reduced to a minimum, the band in its path of movementrubs only on two wire rails t if, placed around the interior of thechamber h at a distance apart corresponding to that between the two deepindents an on each edge of the picture-plate. The middle partition ofthe chamber 7L being similarly furnished has both wires prolonged at thetop into the indents on the edge of the plate, so that the plate inrevolving passes by them, like a comb, without actually touching, and soprevents any possibility of the band being caught during its movementbetween the upper part of the partition and the edge of the plate. Tofacilitate the movement of "the band from front to rear at the bottom ofthe chamber, the latter is there formed with a curve that may be eithercircular or cycloidal.

w w are bent springs attached to the disk 0 of the picture-plate andwhich bearagaiust the fixed disk and so act as brakes.

The pictures may beilluminated by an electric light or otherwise in anyusual manner.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for presenting socalled living pictures to the eye,the combination with an endless band composed of a series of picturesflexibly jointed to one another and such flexible joints arrangedalternately on opposite sides of the band in order to render the endlessband automatically foldable when moved at a high rate of speed, of meansfor giving an intermittent movement to the endless band whereby eachpicture is presented to the eye for abrief period while at rest,substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for presenting so-called living pictures to the eye,the combination with an endless band composed of a series of picturesflexibly jointed to one another and such flexible joints arrangedalternately on opposite sides of the band in order to render the endlessband automatically foldable when moved at a high rate of speed, of arevolving plate around which the flexibly-jointed band passes, and meansfor imparting an intermit tent movement to the plate, substantially asset forth.

In an apparatus for presenting so-called living pictures to the eye, thecombination with an endless band composed. of aseries of picturesflexibly jointed to one another and such flexible joints arrangedalternately on opposite sides of the band in order to render the endlessband automatically foldable when moved at a high rate of speed, ofarevolving plate provided with projections and around which plate theflexibly-jointed band passes, an axle for the plate, a driving-wheelwhose center is eccentric to the axle of the plate and provided with apin, and means for imparting motion to said driving-wheel,substantiallyas set forth.

at. In aninstrumentforpresentingso called living pictures to the eye,the combination of an endless band of pictures each of which is jointedto its neighbor, a revolving plate around which the band passes,projections on the plate, adjustable pieces fitted on the projections,means for clamping the adjustable pieces in place, an axle for theplate, a driving-wheel whose center is eccentric of the axle of theplate, a pin on the driving-wheel and means for rotating thedriving-wheel, substantially as set forth.

5. In an instrument for presenting so-called living pictures to the eyethe combination of an endless band of pictures each of which is jointedto its neighbor, a revolving plate around which the band passes,projections on the plate, an axle for the plate, a drivingwheel whosecenter is eccentric of the axle of the plate, a pin on thedriving-wheel,-means for rotating'the driving-wheel, a disk 1 on theaxle of the plate and friction brake-springs secured to the plate andbearing against the dish, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

6. In an instrumentfor presenting so-called living pictures to the eye,the combination of an endless band of pictures, means for flexiblyjointing the pictures to each other so that they can fold up, a platefor revolving the band, means for actuating the plate, a guideway forthe pictures having a central partition and a curved lower end, rails inthe guideway and recesses or indents in the plate into which the upperends of the rails project, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

7. In an instruinentfor presenting so-called living pictures to the eyethe combination of an endless band of pictures each of which is jointedto its neighbor, a revolving plate around which the band passes,projections on the plate, an axle for the plate an ellipticaldriving-wheel, a pin on the driving-wheel, a second elliptical wheelgearing with the first one and means for driving this second wheel,substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

8. The combination of the endless band a, the guideway h for the band,the revolnble plate 0, the projections j, j, on the plate, the axle 0'around which the plate revolves, the driving-gear, the pin 0 actuatedbythe driving-gear and the means for operating the gear, substantiallyas hereinbefore set forth. 9. An endless band consisting of a series ofpictures jointed one to another in a flexible manner and with suchjoints arranged alternately on opposite sides of the band and coatedwith an elastic substance to impart to the band a tendency to foldautomatically when moved at a high rate of speed, substantially as setforth.

Signed at Glasgow, Scotland, this 5th day of April, 1899.

THOMAS ANSBORO. [L. s] Witnesses:

ALEXANDER NOBLE, FRED. LEWIS.

